The Qwillery: A Brush of Darkness

Showing posts with label A Brush of Darkness. Show all posts

Friday, April 13, 2012

Authors After Dark Author Spotlight Interview - Allison Pang

Please welcome Allison Pang to The Qwillery's as part of the Authors After Dark Author Spotlight Interviews.

TQ: What inspired you to become a writer?

Allison: I’m not sure there’s any one thing that inspired me. I’ve always been a storyteller (mostly to myself). Writing just seemed like the next logical step, though I didn’t pursue publishing for a very long time.

TQ: What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Allison: Time management. Finding the time to write and then sticking to it until it gets done. Which sounds bad, maybe - I enjoy writing very much, but I also work another job and have a family (like many other writers). Maybe it’s less about finding time and more about balancing the time that I have.

TQ: What writing achievement are you most proud of?

Allison: Simply getting published is a pretty nice achievement, honestly. :-) Just knowing my stories are out there for reader’s enjoyment is enough for me.

TQ: What one thing should everyone know about your writing?

Allison: Ha - I don’t know? Can’t give away too much or all the mystery is gone. LOL

TQ: Please tell us about your latest and upcoming works.

Allison: Well, A Sliver of Shadow was just released at the end of February. The third Abby Sinclair book, A Trace of Moonlight should be out on October 30 (I’m working on revisions for that right now, in fact!) I’ve also got an online graphic novel project that I’m doing over at http://www.sadsausagedogs.com - the first page goes up on April 30 for a storyline called Fox & Willow.

TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Allison: Thanks for having me!

About the Abby Sinclair series

A Sliver of Shadow

Abby Sinclair 2
Pocket Books, February 28, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

WAR IS HELL. AND WAR WITH HELL IS NO FUN EITHER.

Just when her new life as a TouchStone—a mortal bound to help OtherFolk cross between Faery and human worlds—seems to be settling down, Abby Sinclair is left in charge when the Protectorate, Moira, leaves for the Faery Court. And when the Protectorate’s away . . . let’s just say things spiral out of control when a spell on Abby backfires and the Faery Queen declares the Doors between their worlds officially closed. The results are disastrous for both sides: OtherFolk trapped in the mortal world are beginning to fade, while Faery is on the brink of war with the daemons of Hell. Along with her brooding elven prince Talivar and sexy incubus Brystion, Abby ventures to the CrossRoads in an attempt to override the Queen’s magic. But nothing in this beautiful, dangerous realm will compare to the discoveries she’s making about her past, her destiny, and what she will sacrifice for those she loves.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

A Brush of Darkness

Abby Sinclair 1
Pocket Books, January 25, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 368 pages

The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares.

Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

About Allison

The Jeweled Snare, Phin's Bracelet

Phineas is a tiny unicorn with a HUGE personality. Guiding Abby through her predicaments, he has become a favorite. with a penchant for bacon and other unmentionable things, who can not love this tiny powerhouse?

Silver plate chain holds blue Swarovski crystals, a pewter unicorn charm .
7"

The Touchstone Bracelet

Being a touchstone isn't easy as Abby and her friends can tell you...Here is my amulet to those links to the paranormal.

Silver plate chain holds a pewter acorn charm and a beautiful large oval pink tourmaline, with a small triskell charm highlighting.
7"

Bracelet photos and descriptions courtesy of Cemetery Cat Jewelry.

How: Leave a comment answering the following question:

Favorite mythological creature(s)?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Friday, April 20, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Interview with Allison Pang & Giveaway - March 6, 2012

Please welcome Allison Pang to The Qwillery. A Sliver of Shadow, the second novel in Allison's Abby Sinclair series, was published on February 28, 2012.

TQ: Welcome back to The Qwillery!

Allison: Thanks! It’s great to be back! :-)

TQ: What do you wish you'd known when the first Abby Sinclair novel, A Brush of Darkness, came out that you know now?

Allison: Ha ha - enjoy the moment for what it is because it only gets harder from here on out. :-)

TQ: Please tell us about your Abby Sinclair series.

Allison: When we first meet Abby in A Brush of Darkness, she’s a former prima ballerina, still recovering from a terrible car accident that took the life of her mother and left her body crippled. With her dreams of dancing shattered, she ends up in the town of Portsmyth and stumbles into the world of the OtherFolk. When she becomes the TouchStone to the Faery Protectorate, her fate is forever changed and she’s forced to come to grips with her past as well as take a more deliberate role in her own future.

In A Sliver of Shadow, we find Abby coming a bit more into her own, as well as finding out more about her own past and family history. (And how entwined her family really is with that of the OtherFolk.)
Along the way she’s assisted by friends in the form of a magical violinist, an incubus, an elven prince and a pervy little unicorn.

TQ: Without giving anything away what is/are your favorite scenes(s) in A Sliver of Shadow (Abby Sinclair 2)?

Allison: Hmmm. Tough one, but there’s a scene where Talivar and Brystion share a bottle of wine. Most of what happens is off screen, but I get a serious case of the giggles every time I think about what they’re probably discussing. (Maybe someday I’ll write it up as a quick one-shot.)

TQ: Which character has surprised you the most in the series so far?

Allison: Probably Brystion. He’s rather difficult for me to write and he plays his cards very close to his vest, but I find there’s quite a bit more to him as I pull those layers back.

TQ: Barring paranormality, which character in the series is most like you?

Allison: Heh. They’re all a bit like me. Or at least they all have some facet of my personality, but the easy comparison is probably Abby. I tend to be somewhat snarky and grumpy like her at times, and I know what it’s like to have an injury that causes a fair amount of chronic pain. Also? I love bacon.

TQ: What appeals to you about writing urban fantasy? Are there any other genres in which you'd like to write?

Allison: I like that Urban Fantasy gives me the freedom to pretty much write whatever I want. I get to make the mundane more fun, but without the limitations of a PNR (i.e. the story doesn’t require an HEA, for example.) I would love to write more of a high fantasy as well (and I’ve started the beginnings of one - it’s a bit of a Steampunk/Fantasy mix right now.)

TQ: What's next?

Allison: Right now I’m working on the revisions for the third Abby Sinclair novel - A Trace of Moonlight - which is scheduled to be released in October of 2012. In the meantime, I’ve also started a collaborative graphic novel project with an artist friend of mine (loosely based on twisted fairy tales.) We hope to start releasing it online in the spring and you can read more about it at http://www.sadsausagedogs.com

TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Allison: Thanks for having me!

About the Abby Sinclair series

A Sliver of Shadow

Abby Sinclair 2
Pocket Books, February 28, 2012
Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages

WAR IS HELL. AND WAR WITH HELL IS NO FUN EITHER.

Just when her new life as a TouchStone—a mortal bound to help OtherFolk cross between Faery and human worlds—seems to be settling down, Abby Sinclair is left in charge when the Protectorate, Moira, leaves for the Faery Court. And when the Protectorate’s away . . . let’s just say things spiral out of control when a spell on Abby backfires and the Faery Queen declares the Doors between their worlds officially closed. The results are disastrous for both sides: OtherFolk trapped in the mortal world are beginning to fade, while Faery is on the brink of war with the daemons of Hell. Along with her brooding elven prince Talivar and sexy incubus Brystion, Abby ventures to the CrossRoads in an attempt to override the Queen’s magic. But nothing in this beautiful, dangerous realm will compare to the discoveries she’s making about her past, her destiny, and what she will sacrifice for those she loves.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

A Sliver of Shadow Excerpt:

“Who’s my little man?” The unicorn crooned at Benjamin and then winced when a hank of beard became the baby’s newest form of entertainment.

“Keep that up and you’ll be a baldy chin,” I retorted. “And I don’t recall asking your opinion. Not that that’s ever stopped you before. Talivar around?”

“Nope, burned the coffee again. Ran out to get more.” A snort escaped him. “He’s even worse at it then you are.”

“Probably something about being a prince and not having to actually cook for himself. At least he’s trying. More than I can say for you.” I stooped to search for my Crocs, pushing through dust bunnies and clumps of what suspiciously looked like unicorn droppings. “Christ, Phin, use the toilet or go outside or something.” I snatched my hand away.

“That’s not me. I think you’ve got mice.” His tone became wheedling.

“I’ll bet. Just clean it up.”

“With what? Gonna turn my tail into a broom?” The furred tuft in question flicked as if to make the point.

“I’m sure you’ll come up with something. Besides, aren’t unicorn horns proof against poison? Purifying water, that sort of thing? Surely something that can bring a dead man back to life can disinfect like Lysol?”

A Brush of Darkness

Abby Sinclair 1
Pocket Books, January 25, 2011
Mass Market Paberback, 368 pages

The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares.

Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

About Allison

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Cover Revealed - A Sliver of Shadow (Abby Sinclair 2) by Allison Pang

Allison Pang recently revealed the cover for A Sliver of Shadow, the 2nd novel in the Abby Sinclair series. A Sliver of Shadow will be published in February 2012.

A Sliver of Shadow

Abby Sinclair 2
Pocket Books, February 28, 2012
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages

Just when her new life as a TouchStone - a mortal bound to help OtherFolk cross between Faery and human worlds - seems to be settling down, Abby Sinclair is left in charge when the Protectorate, Moira, leaves for the Faery Court. And when the Protectorate’s away…let’s just say things spiral out of control when a spell on Abby backfires and the Faery Queen declares the Doors between their worlds officially closed.

The results are disastrous for both sides: OtherFolk trapped in the mortal world are beginning to fade, while Faerie is on the brink of war with the daemons of Hell. Along with her brooding eleven prince Talivar and sexy incubus Brystion, Abby ventures to the CrossRoads in an attempt to override the Queen’s magic. But nothing in this beautiful, dangerous realm will compare to the discoveries she’s making about her past, her destiny, and what she will sacrifice for those she loves.

Description from Allison Pang's website

Pre-order: Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million

First book in the series:

A Brush of Darkness

Abby Sinclair 1
Pocket Books, January 25, 2011
Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages

The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares.

Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million

Friday, February 11, 2011

Interview with Allison Pang and Giveaway - February 11, 2011

Please welcome Allison Pang to The Qwillery as part of our 2011 Debut Author Challenge interviews.

TQ: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Allison: I don’t know if it’s a quirk, so much as a massive tendency to procrastinate. And eat. I have to stop myself from eating myself into oblivion when I write - I suspect it’s more of a nervous habit than anything else. I also spontaneously break into dance around the midnight hour.

TQ: Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Allison: I love high fantasy probably more than anything else, and I’d say a number of them have influenced not only my writing, but how I look at it. (There are a lot of writers I want to be when I grow up). Favorite writers include Jacqueline Carey, Kate Elliott, Lynn Flewelling, Charles de Lint, Robin Hobb and many others.

TQ: Are you a plotter or a panster?

Allison: Mostly a punster. I only tend to try to outline if I get stuck at a particular point, but it’s usually just to let my brain sort through it more than the need to write it down, if that makes any sense. The rest of the time I just have a vague idea of what I’d like to see happen in a particular chapter (i.e. they find a body under the bed. Madness ensues.), but then I sit back and see how the characters get there.

TQ: What inspired you to write A Brush of Darkness?

Allison: Partially a stubborn streak to see if I really *could* write a book, but part of the concept was inspired by a dream. I wanted to know more about the characters who made up that dream (and the scene in particular is in the book toward the end) and there we go.

TQ: What sort of research did you do for A Brush of Darkness?

Allison: Not much, honestly. I was very interested in Faerie folklore from a young age. I just drew on the parts I wanted to use and made up the rest.

TQ: Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in the book?

Allison: Hmmm. Most of the scenes with Phin were a great deal of fun to write, but otherwise I’m rather partial to that last scene at the end with Abby searching for Brystion. Can’t get into any more detail I don’t think, but that’s really the pivotal scene for me.

TQ: How many books are planned for the Abby Sinclair series? Will there be any short stories or novellas set in Abby's world?

Allison: There are two more confirmed books so far and the current story arc should mostly wrap up within those three. After that it’s entirely up to the publisher.  That being said, I’d love to do a spin off with some of the secondary characters - Melanie in particular. I also wouldn’t mind doing a short story or two as well. I’m hoping to maybe have a few “freebies” written and uploaded on my website at some point this year - maybe a one-shot on how Abby got her iPod enchanted, for example. Or quite possibly a few alternate scenes from BoD written from Brystion’s PoV. J

TQ: What's next?

Allison: Next after what? LOL. The draft for the second book was turned in a short while ago and I’m waiting on revisions for that. The third book is due in August, so I’m turning my attention to that right now, although I’ve got a SteamPunk fantasy thing that I’ve started which I’d obviously like to sell as well.

TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery

Allison: And thank you for having me!

Allison's Books

A Brush of Darkness
Abby Sinclair 1
(January 25, 2011)

The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares.

Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn't at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus's whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there's no one she can trust to save her.

About Allison

A marine biologist in a former life, Allison Pang turned to a life of crime to finance her wild spending habits and need to collect Faberge eggs. A cat thief of notable repute, she spends her days sleeping and nights scaling walls and wooing dancing boys….Well, at least the marine biology part is true. But she was taloned by a hawk once. She also loves Hello Kitty, sparkly shoes, and gorgeous violinists.

She spends her days in Northern Virginia working as a cube grunt and her nights waiting on her kids and cats, punctuated by the occasional husbandly serenade. Sometimes she even manages to write. Mostly she just makes it up as she goes.

Allison's Links:
Website: http://www.heartofthedreaming.com/
Blog: http://mynfel.blogspot.com/
Group blog: http://word-whores.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/apang
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/allison_pang

The Giveaway

THE RULES

What: One commenter will win a Mass Market Paperback copy of A Brush of Darkness.

How: Leave a comment telling The Qwillery what miniature mythological creature you would like to live in your underwear drawer? Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who & When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Friday, February 18, 2011. Void where prohibited by law.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*